Just Like Mona Lisa: SHAFT anime gets main trailer, imase ending theme, 7 new cast

SHAFT's next TV project finally has a look and a sound. The official site for Just Like Mona Lisa (Seibetsu "Mona Lisa" no Kimi e.), the anime of Tsumuji Yoshimura's Square Enix manga, has released its first main visual, character profiles, and the first main trailer, and the series is now listed for a 2027 broadcast.

The premise, briefly

In this world everyone is born genderless. Around age 12, your body becomes male or female depending on which way your heart leans, and by about 14 it settles. Hinase Arima is a high school senior who turned 18 and never changed. When childhood friends Ritsu and Shiori, who have both made their choice, each confess, Hinase's quiet routine starts to come apart. It is a coming-of-age love triangle, and a premise that gives a studio as stylish as SHAFT a lot of room.

What's new

Ending theme: imase is writing an original song, "Mayoi wa Hikari" (roughly "Hesitation Is Light"), and a slice of it plays in the new trailer.
More cast: seven names join Chika Anzai, who voices Hinase: Yoshino Aoyama, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Daisuke Sakuma, Chiharu, Sho Hatano, Kazuki Mikawa, and Shion Wakayama. Roles for the newcomers haven't been matched to characters yet.
Main visual: Hinase's two friends and classmates appear in it for the first time, along with seven character profiles.

imase's comment stuck with me. He says he saw himself in Hinase's struggle, and that choosing something doesn't make the doubt disappear. That feels like exactly the right headspace for this story.

My take

Kana Shundo directs, with music by Yuki Hayashi. Pairing SHAFT's visual style with a story this interior could be special, and the trailer's turquoise palette already looks distinctive. There's no exact premiere date or overseas streaming news yet, so I'll keep an eye on the official channels.

Source: Just Like Mona Lisa official site. Work page: anime.day.